I liked this one a bit less than others due to Noelle’s attitude. But as you continue reading, it makes sense why she lashes out like that. I also liked learning a bit more about Noelle’s fam. I love, love that line “Lux was not the one.”

I’m not sure where Noelle and Tobyn’s story ends, but I’m glad Tobyn didn’t just drop everything because Noelle discovered she had feelings for her. You can’t talk to someone like dirt then confess to them and expect to be booed up in minutes. It don’t work like that.

 

Noelle has a lot muddled feelings and insecurities that feel true to a high schooler. I heard someone say anger is really a secondary emotion. Whenever you’re getting angry, it’s because you’re already scared. Very true. 

Very cute. Why was there so much drama for this little book lol? Owly and Wormy meet a new friend, a flying squirrel, but, unfortunately, the friend is deathly afraid of owls.

This cute comic covers good lessons like giving people a chance, not being afraid to try again, and doing things a different method.

 I don’t even know what this was, man. John reconnects with his childhood friend Naomi and relives his nightmares from before. On some level, he feels he’s the same type of dirt Naomi’s older brother Chris was. Naomi has gone through obvious trauma at the hands of a horrid brother and abusive father, so she’s very blunt, insecure, and self-destructive. I try to read for enjoyment, but this story drained me. 

Listen, book I DON’T CARE about all the things and women who make John horny. There was nothing I liked about this book. Well, maybe the art style because it was cartoony. 

 Gorgeous artwork, just beautiful. I loved that this was the mother’s story as much as the son’s. Some of the fairytales get bloody, and it seems there’s always someone hating in the wings haha. While Tiến’s friends are accepting of him being gay, he’s terrified to tell his parents, especially his mom. There’s not even a word for it in his language, so he bridges the gap through fairytales. 

Definitely read the author’s note at the end. I’ve never thought of the Little Mermaid being like an immigrant’s tale, but, now, I can see the connection. 

While I enjoyed reading this, it felt either abrupt or unfinished. I can’t really describe it. 

 Extremely silly/absurd but cute, at times. The male lead is a bland everyboy, but he seems to have a good heart. Not sure if I’d read any more of this. 

 Sometimes, super cheerful characters can be a hard sale, but Nadia’s not too bad. You have to strike the perfect balance, so they don’t get annoying. I wasn’t familiar with her, so this was my first introduction to her. I liked the stories rounding up the other girl geniuses. 

Ehh, this book wasn’t for me. I didn’t like one character, not even the main one, Illyas or his narrative. He wasn’t bad, but I didn’t care about him too much. Illyas was a bit of a sad sack, getting bullied by his “friends”, disappointing his dad, and trying to follow his dreams. But he’s soft-hearted and creative. His sister, Shaista, seemed so mean and vapid. I guess from a younger brother’s eyes that might be how he would sum her up. Kelly wasn’t that interesting, but I like how she and Illyas got along. In this type of story, usually both parents are unreasonable, but the mother was fine and understanding. I think what I liked most was the struggling friendship between Illyas and Daevon. Daevon had changed for the worse but his remnants of kindness were always there.

This book shows how insidious toxic masculinity can be, and I think it’s relatable with the decent kid following behind the popular, troublemaker who makes his friend group feel like dirt. <i>Kick the Moon</i> is full of pop-culture references and slang to season the narrative. Overall, this was not a bad read, but it was not personally enjoyable for me. Once I started it, I wanted to see where it ended though.

Imran

didn’t get this gross overnight. He’s compensating for something, trying to fit in, or internalizing the nastiest ills of society for sure. I wanted someone to pop him in the mouth so badly. His head nearly splitting open didn’t humble him.

 

 Fun, engaging, and doesn’t talk down to kids. There’s some slice of life in the background with Ruth’s middle school “will they or won’t they” crush, her post-college brother moving back home momentarily, and her mom’s pushiness. I enjoyed reading this, and it’s a shame Flint, Michigan is still without clean water to this day. 

I think this will really appeal to kids of all ages, aspiring journalists or not. The author’s note at the end was very fitting. 

It's difficult to rate memoirs because it's like you're critiquing someone's life or more so how it was portrayed. I liked this though I felt my interest seriously wane toward the middle. The ending was great. Everything came full-circle. Life doesn't always work out like that, but it did for Waka's story.

Overall, Waka's eventual understanding of her austere grandmother (

obviously, her grandma had a rough, dark childhood, but I'm glad Waka didn't make excuses and acknowledged her own feelings as well though certainly with more understanding

), the Japanese school life, and the language-learning process were the highlights.